Buildings are commonly covered with stucco, especially in hot areas such as the Southeastern and Southwestern areas of the United States. Typically the building framework is first erected. Electrical services are then typically installed to the framework so that each receptacle, light fixture, and other electrical device can be mounted securely to an exposed stud or beam. Electrical wiring is then completed to each device and a substrate installed to cover the framework. Stucco is then typically spread over the substrate to provide a pleasing finished surface for the building.
Unfortunately, stucco frequently sticks to items other than the intended substrate, such as the electrical boxes that have been mounted in the substrate. Thus, during the application of stucco to the substrate, the installer must slow down and take care not to get stucco on the exposed portion of the electrical box. Many outdoor electrical boxes include a permanent cover to protect the electrical device installed within from weather such as snow or rain. Stucco installers then, as a result of spreading mud around the electrical box, frequently create spatter or overruns that contaminate the exposed portions of the electrical box or the permanent cover. Once the stucco cures, the spatter or overrun is not easily removed and this leads to an unsightly electrical box installation.
Some stucco installers apply masking tape around the outer portion of the electrical box to limit the portions of the box exposed to the stucco mud. This is not entirely satisfactory as it slows down the job and it is difficult to properly cover the entire permanent cover and exposed portions of the electrical box. Additional time is lost when the installer must later return and remove all of the tape from the electrical box and from the permanent cover.
What is needed therefore is a device to temporarily cover an electrical box and its permanent cover. The device should be capable of being manufactured at a low cost per unit, as it will be temporary and disposed of after the stucco wall has cured. The device should also be easy to install and easy to remove from the electrical box.